If you were in denial or, better for you, were blissfully oblivious to the reality that the tax squeeze is choking many Austin families, a report in Sunday’s American-Statesman laid that truth bare for all to see. Not that many of us didn’t already know.

Just like you can bank on old-timers grousing about Austin turning into a metropolis they hardly recognize anymore, you can count on your property tax bills rising year after year. The tax bite is forcing many Austin homeowners to seek relief elsewhere, and to pack up and move to outlying cities like Buda that are more tax-friendly to family pocketbooks.

“We were trying to hold on to living in Southwest Austin where our kids were being raised. It became too much,” said Barbara Johnson, who saw her property taxes creep up over the years. Her family moved from Circle C in Southwest Austin to Buda, where their tax bill is estimated to be $3,000 less.

If there’s a boomtown in America with the “it factor,” it’s Austin. Construction cranes fill the city skyline, building the newest high-rise that will become the next shimmering luxury condo complex or hotel or office tower. Already among the fastest-growing cities in the country, Austin is considered a worthy suitor for Amazon HQ2 and its 50,000 employees. The city makes all the national “best” lists, and visitors flock here from all over. Many don’t leave. Signature homegrown events like ACL and South By Southwest are hot tickets across the country, adding to Austin’s swagger.

But there’s a flip side to all that sheen, one Austin Mayor Steve Adler addressed during his 2014 election campaign. His stump speech staple invoked “the tipping point,” the idea that the city had reached the cusp of a status quo it could no longer afford to follow.

The message, of course, was that Austin needed new leadership, but it went deeper than that. Adler mused too about the danger of Austin becoming two cities, one of haves and have nots. Continuing with the status quo, he said, risked widening that divide.

Many Austinites can relate. As their home property values rise – and wages don’t keep up — they are being priced out of those very homes. And it’s happening across the city, in affluent neighborhoods and in working-class enclaves. Flight to the suburbs doesn’t always offer immunity, either. There are growing signs that property tax bills are rising there too.

It’s not surprising then that some residents grumble that Austin is becoming a playground for the wealthy.

A painful irony: property taxes are high here and real estate prices are soaring, but Austin is a steal for people from California and other parts of the country where real estate prices are sky-high.

For those who live here already, a different story. Just in the last five years, the average home value in Austin has risen $80,000 to $343,000, and the property tax bill has surged 21 percent. The tax bill on an average value home is now $7,600 a year, an increase of $517 over last year.

Finding a silver lining in all of this is like finding an Austinite who was born and raised here. Good luck.

But more people are talking about surging property tax bills, and there may lie the key to change. Training a spotlight on the growing cost of living in Austin is good. So is holding elected officials accountable and demanding they hit the brakes on rising taxes.

It won’t be easy. Not when state and local taxing entities heavily rely on property tax revenue to pay for schools and local services. Indeed, the biggest bite of your property tax bill goes to pay for schools.

It won’t be easy, either, when the blame is thrown around in crisscross directions. Overhauling the school finance system is the only solution, some argue. But some conservative lawmakers say it’s the school districts that need to curb spending. The local school districts, however, say they could do more with their revenue if they didn’t have to help subsidize property-poor districts under the school finance system. And local taxing entities frequently tell you they’re trying to offer relief by reducing their tax rates even as they rake in more of your tax money.

Taxpayers are too savvy for that misdirection now. Lower tax rates don’t mean a thing if soaring property values raise your tax bill. Those who can’t afford to live in Austin anymore will attest.

No, the status quo isn’t good enough anymore. But at least we’re talking about it.

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Here's where the American-Statesman's editorial board members give their take on the news of the day, as well as give insight and analysis on the issues that matter to Central Texans. On occasion, the Viewpoints blog will serve as additional space for editorials that reflect the opinion of the American-Statesman. And, from time to time, readers will find contributions from special guests. Blog contributors include: Juan Castillo, Bridget Grumet and Alberta Phillips.